By ROSIE MURRAY-WEST, Mail on Sunday, 11 May 2025:
Words such as ‘cyber attack’, ‘malware’ and ‘automated phishing’ used to sound futuristic.
But once a threat stops us from buying Percy Pig sweets and comfy underwear, we know it has struck at the very heart of Middle England – and it is time for investors to sit up and take notice.
At the time of writing, M&S still isn’t offering online shopping after a huge cyber hack, while the Co-op is struggling with stock issues and a customer-data breach.
The hackers have cost these companies dear – Deutsche Bank puts the cost to M&S at £15 million a week – and experts warn many more companies are vulnerable to similar attacks..
With governments and businesses spending more on cyber security, many experts believe now is the time to invest in those securing us all against the hackers.
‘Investment capital is pouring into cyber security businesses alongside aerospace and defence firms,’ says Jason Hollands, managing director at investment platform BestInvest..
Funds and trusts that back cyber specialists
There are also trusts and funds that allow you to take a mixed slice of the cyber security market..
James Carthew, head of investment companies at QuotedData, recommends Polar Capital Technology, which invests in leading players such as CyberArk Software, Crowdstrike Holdings and Cloudflare.
Polar Capital has had a torrid three months – down nearly 17 per cent following President Trump’s tariff announcements, but has recovered somewhat in the last month.
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